Security Systems News - Security Industry Alarm Coalitionhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/taxonomy/term/1520
enAkron implements alarm verification policyhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/article/akron-implements-alarm-verification-policy
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<div class="field-item even">The move was met with both praise and disappointment—depending on whom you’re talking to</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:date"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2014-02-12T00:00:00-05:00">02/12/2014</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" rel="schema:author dc:creator">Leif Kothe</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>AKRON, Ohio—A new policy set to take effect here in March requires security alarms to verify criminal activity prior to police response.</p>
<p>Like similar actions in other cities, the policy has its camps of proponents and detractors, and its reception puts into sharp relief some competing philosophies about how to manage false alarms and provide the most effective strategies for response.</p>
<p>Not only that: The debate raises fundamental questions about the value proposition of alarm systems in general. Are they designed to deter crime? Are they designed to stop it in progress and boost police apprehensions? Should they do both?</p>
<p>The policy in Akron, implemented by the city’s police department, was put in place to address a 98 percent false alarm rate, according to a report from the Associated Press. In the policy, the basic criteria for what qualifies as a verified alarm include confirmation of an intrusion or attempted intrusion by a security agency representative; visual account from a neighbor or owner of an intrusion occurring; live video depicting an intrusion; live reliable audio confirming an intrusion is occurring; and a perimeter alarm breach in conjunction with an internal motion detector breach.</p>
<p>The Security Industry Alarm Coalition, an industry organization that deals with alarm management matters and tracks alarm ordinances around the country, takes the position that a model ordinance, as opposed to an alarm verification policy, is the best route for cities to take.<br /> <br />According to the organization, 30 public safety agencies have adopted some form of verified response since 1998. Stan Martin, executive director of SIAC, said the policy in Akron is “a disappointing way to see a city go.” He believes it could force residents to lean more on private response.</p>
<p>“Based on our experience over the years, the public has expectations of police response, and they feel safer when it’s trained officers responding,” Martin said. “They really don’t like having the option of using a private responder.”</p>
<p>Moving straight to non-response in lieu of an ordinance is “bad policy,” Martin said, because it raises the risk to consumers, who could be compelled to respond to alarms on their own or to appeal to neighbors for help. “And that’s dangerous,” he said.</p>
<p>A well-enforced ordinance that places an onus on cost recovery is crucial, Martin noted. Limiting the number of free responses to a low number—between zero and two, Martin said, depending on local political climate—is an important measure of this approach. Reducing the overall number of alarm dispatches by implementing registration provisions can also help, Martin said.</p>
<p>David Margulies, a spokesman for SIAC, says the Akron Police Department is the 30th public safety agency in America to implement some form of verified response since 1998. The considerable variance from community to community on a range of factors—such as criminal activity, resources and response times—means not all communities have to take on such measures, he said.</p>
<p>“You’re basically saying to anybody who has burglar alarms that these are really not important enough for [police] to respond to,” he said. “While at the same time, police are going to community meetings telling people that if they see anything suspicious to call 911.” He added: “Now that you have proven alternative programs that will get you same basic result but maintain police response, why would you go to this extreme measure when there’s a better way to do it?”</p>
<p>The pro-verification side holds a much different view—not only with respect to reducing false dispatches. Unlike SIAC, advocates of enhanced call verification laws, priority response and audio and video verification tend to view security systems not just as deterrents, but also as tools to help police apprehend criminals.</p>
<p>“Police love to catch bad guys,” said Bruce Winner, brand director at Sonitrol, an audio verification company. “If we can help those guys do their job better and take those guys off the street, it’s a win-win for everybody.”</p>
<p>Another facet of the value proposition, at least on the law enforcement side, is the added safety that officers receive when aided by the information supplied by verified alarms. That information, Winner said, helps ensure that officers “aren’t arriving without knowing what to expect.”</p>
<p>The value for subscribers is simple: Verified alarms reduce response time, Winner said. This is no small feat now, he said, considering that in larger cities, response times have continued to “creep up.”</p>
<p>The average response time for Sonitrol alarms is seven minutes, he said, and that’s due in large part to the verification component.</p>
<p>“If you’re paying an alarm company, and your alarm goes off, your expectation is that police will come,” he said. “And not that they’ll come within two or three hours, but minutes.”</p>
<p>The future of verification adoption, Winner said, will continue to depend on an education process that engages both consumers and law enforcement, and demonstrates how the approach differs from that of a typical alarm company.</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Akron implements alarm verification policy" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 12 Feb 2014 20:13:25 +0000Tess Nacelewicz17244 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/article/akron-implements-alarm-verification-policy#commentsA chat with SIAC’s Stan Martinhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/blog/chat-siac-s-stan-martin
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:author dc:creator">Leif Kothe</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:created"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:created" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-09-06T00:00:00-04:00">09/06/2013</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>This morning I had the opportunity to chat with Stan Martin, executive director of the Security Industry Alarm Coalition. He proved to be a valuable font of information about the current state of the alarm industry, in particular the three-pronged relationship involving alarm monitoring companies, law enforcement and municipal governments—all of which play huge collaborative roles in responding to legitimate alarms and mitigating false ones.</p>
<p>When I asked him what he considers an ideal alarm ordinance, it became abundantly clear just what kind of challenges an effective alarm ordinance has to address. A whole constellation of considerations go into curbing false alarms. </p>
<p>“We’ve studied alarm management issues for twenty plus years, and we know what best practices will reduce these unnecessary dispatches,” Martin said. “We list them in our model ordinance.”</p>
<p>A model ordinance, Martin said, should require all alarm systems to be registered with local police. It should mandate the use of Enhanced Call Verification, or two-call verification, a protocol that requires alarm monitoring stations to attempt to confirm a signal is valid before requesting dispatch. It should require that panels feature the newest equipment standards, meaning they are compliant with the ANSI/SIA CP-01 Control Panel Standard – Features for false alarms—a standard that minimizes the single biggest cause of false alarms: human error.</p>
<p>Martin also emphasized the tremendous importance of strict enforcement of an alarm ordinance, but acknowledged that enforcement measures vary by municipality, and are often dictated by local politics—particularly with respect to the number of free responses permitted. The SIAC recommends no more than one or two free responses. It also recommends suspending response once a fixed number, generally between the range of six and 10, has been surpassed. </p>
<p>Martin says this curtails chronic abuse and holds some of the larger commercial entities accountable. “You do need to stop responses,” he said. “Otherwise, the higher-end clients, commercial clients, banks in particular, will just write the check. They consider that easier. It’s the cost of doing business. But when police say they’re not going to come any longer, they have to take some kind of corrective action.”</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="A chat with SIAC’s Stan Martin" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Fri, 06 Sep 2013 18:03:42 +0000Leif Kothe16758 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/blog/chat-siac-s-stan-martin#commentsSimon says it's time to cooperate with your local PDhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/blog/simon-says-its-time-cooperate-your-local-pd
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:author dc:creator">Rich Miller</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:created"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:created" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-06-19T00:00:00-04:00">06/19/2013</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>Giving your customer list to law enforcement makes sense.</p>
<p>That statement seems to fly in the face of convention for the alarm industry, which hasn’t exactly been cozy over the years with the boys in blue. But Dave Simon, writing recently for the Security Industry Alarm Coalition, makes a compelling case for doing so.</p>
<p>Simon argues that there are far more benefits to cooperating with law enforcement than erecting barriers. Despite concerns in the past that sensitive information about customers could be compromised, that hasn’t happened, he said. And he draws another conclusion (agree with it or not) in this age of surveillance: Police departments will eventually get the lists anyway, so why not partner with them as good citizens?</p>
<p>The bottom line, Simon wrote, is that SIAC believes the cooperative approach bears more fruit. Here’s more of what he had to say:</p>
<blockquote><p>Besides being nice, alarm dealers are actually helping customers in those cities where they provide the lists. Why? Because the list helps the PD do their job, ensure compliance and get systems registered. All that means a better-run alarm management program, improved enforcement and increased public safety. That’s good for the alarm dealer because customers have fewer false dispatches, saving them expensive fines and the risk of losing police response.</p>
<p>SIAC promotes cooperative problem-solving. This is a great example of how we can be supportive and help local jurisdictions—particularly the police department—conserve resources. We’ve found that even the largest national companies give lists. Cooperating with law enforcement is not a novel idea. Supplying customer lists should be an extension of our continued cooperation to ensure well-executed alarm management programs.</p>
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<p>Simon invites opinions on the subject, pro or con, at siacinc.wordpress.com.</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Simon says it&#039;s time to cooperate with your local PD" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:09:38 +0000Rich Miller16562 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/blog/simon-says-its-time-cooperate-your-local-pd#commentsEnhanced call verification now law in Georgiahttp://securitysystemsnews.com/blog/enhanced-call-verification-now-law-georgia
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:author dc:creator">Rich Miller</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:created"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:created" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-05-15T00:00:00-04:00">05/15/2013</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>“It’s a good day in Georgia.”</p>
<p>That was the reaction from John Loud, president of the Georgia Electronic Life Safety &amp; Systems Association, after Gov. Nathan Deal signed enhanced call verification into law on May 6. GELSSA, with an assist from the Security Industry Alarm Coalition, had been pushing for ECV for years and finally saw it brought to fruition with House Bill 59.</p>
<p>It wasn’t an easy process. As HB 687, the initiative made it through the Georgia House last year and through state Senate committees, but the legislative session ended before the bill could be brought to a vote on the Senate floor, Loud said. Then, HB 59 had to overcome resistance from those questioning the need for ECV.</p>
<p>“Some of the legislators were asking us, ‘Well, if it’s so great, why don’t you guys do it on your own? Why do you have to make it a law?” Loud said.</p>
<p>The explanation comes down to competition, with some alarm companies in pockets of Georgia using ECV—or lack thereof—to their advantage while ignoring the problem of false dispatches.</p>
<p>“They tell customers, ‘We only have to make one call [for police dispatch],’ so people would go against alarm companies that are doing ECV—‘You don’t want to monitor with them, they have to make two calls,’” Loud said. “And now this kind of equalizes it across the board. It’s right for the industry, it’s right for municipalities and it’s certainly right from the taxpayers’ standpoint.”</p>
<p>Law enforcement worked closely with GELSSA on the initiative, with the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police endorsing ECV. Loud said there were a few initial concerns from the state Fire Marshal’s Office, “but once they understood that this is not about fire, they came on board and supported us right away.” ECV will not be required in the case of a fire alarm, panic alarm or robbery-in-progress alarm, according to the statute.</p>
<p>Loud said success also hinged on “getting the right folks to adopt and carry the bill forward for us.” The legislation was sponsored by state Republican Reps. Tom Taylor, Kevin Cooke and Lynne Riley.</p>
<p>SIAC Director Ron Walters said Georgia is the fifth state to legislate ECV, joining Delaware, Virginia, Tennessee and Florida. The law goes into effect on July 1.<br /> </p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Enhanced call verification now law in Georgia" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 15 May 2013 15:05:56 +0000Rich Miller16417 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/blog/enhanced-call-verification-now-law-georgia#commentsDeadly shooting follows low-priority alarm in Colorado Springs http://securitysystemsnews.com/blog/deadly-shooting-follows-low-priority-alarm-colorado-springs
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:author dc:creator">Rich Miller</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:created"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:created" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-02-06T00:00:00-05:00">02/06/2013</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>It was what the Colorado Springs Police Department calls a Priority Three alarm: A minor incident “requiring a response that is dispatched based on the availability of patrol units.” What followed was the nightmare scenario dreaded by police, alarm companies and alarm users alike.</p>
<p>According to CSPD spokeswoman Barbara Miller, a security alarm was triggered at the home of David Dunlap and Whitney Butler at 11:10 a.m. on Jan. 14. The alarm company, ADT, then called Dunlap’s cellphone and left a message for him to call back. At 11:18, ADT called police to notify them about the alarm.</p>
<p>Based on department policy to reduce the burden of false alarms in the city, officers were not dispatched.</p>
<p>“We had no units available,” Miller told <em>Security Systems News</em>. “We do priority calls. … If there is a ‘crime in progress’ call [with a life-threatening situation], those are first. If it’s a human-activated alarm or a panic alarm, that’s also a high priority. We would respond immediately to that.”</p>
<p>At 11:25, Dunlap returned ADT’s call and was informed about the alarm, but he did not call police, Miller said. Thirty-five minutes later, CSPD responded to a report of shots fired at the couple’s Bassett Drive address. Police say Dunlap and Whitney were killed as they entered their home by 17-year-old Macyo January, who was arrested three days later and charged with first-degree murder.</p>
<p>Miller said the incident calls attention to a common and potentially dangerous oversight by alarm users: If an alarm is activated, they should not assume there will be an immediate response from law enforcement.</p>
<p>“Many times, the alarm company will notify the owner that their house alarm has been activated. If that person returns to his or her home to check on the alarm, they must be extremely cautious and vigilant,” she said. “For instance, if they notice a front door that might be slightly opened or a broken window, or see a suspicious vehicle parked outside their home, we would strongly recommend that they call 911 so an officer can check for a possible burglary in progress or burglary that just occurred.”</p>
<p>Miller said that Colorado Springs police will respond to any activation when there is evidence that a crime has been committed—“i.e., a responsible party is on scene and has told the alarm company there is a broken window at the residence or business. Another example would be an alarm service indicates they have video surveillance inside of the business and they can see someone inside of the location.”</p>
<p>Ron Walters, director of the Security Industry Alarm Coalition, told SSN that virtually all police agencies, even those with scaled-back response policies, handle human-activated alarms “at a fairly high priority.” That goes for video intrusion alarms as well, but as Walters pointed out, there is only so much a security company can do.</p>
<p>“Alarms are designed as a deterrent and cannot stop a crime from happening,” he said. “The best deterrent remains the threat of response by a well-trained and armed police official.”</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Deadly shooting follows low-priority alarm in Colorado Springs " class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 06 Feb 2013 15:57:38 +0000Rich Miller16087 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/blog/deadly-shooting-follows-low-priority-alarm-colorado-springs#commentsConnecting—with costumes and without—at Honeywell's Connect 2012http://securitysystemsnews.com/blog/connecting-costumes-and-without-honeywells-connect-2012
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:author dc:creator">Tess Nacelewicz</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:created"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:created" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2012-11-02T00:00:00-04:00">11/02/2012</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>Imagine Scott Harkins, president of Honeywell Security Products, lumbering about in an inflatable sumo wrestler suit. Envision Stan Martin, executive director of the Security Industry Alarm Coalition, stalking around in a long cape as Count Dracula, looking for blood as well as donations to SIAC. And then picture Patrick Egan, president of Select Security, scarily attractive in drag as a red-lipsticked brunette in an elegant gown.</p>
<p>Those attending the Honeywell First Alert Professional Convention here in Hollywood, Fla. didn't need to conjure up those images—they were all there for everyone to see tonight as security dealer attendees let their hair down (quite literally in Egan’s case) at a belated Halloween costume party.</p>
<p>They got into the fun with inventive costumes, which included a nun and monk, wizards with tall hats, a beekeeper, a gladiator, a Wizard of Oz scarecrow, Popeye, cave men and cave women in leopard skin clothing and one brave dealer in a Scottish plaid kilt and matching tam–o'–shanter.</p>
<p>It may sound silly, but it turned out to be a good way to break the ice at a networking event—and it was just another way to connect at Connect 2012.</p>
<p>Earlier today, Harkins, in his more familiar attire of a suit and tie, explained why the event was given that name this year.</p>
<p>Speaking on the first full day of activities of the annual event, which launched yesterday and runs into this weekend, Harkins said, “Why the name ‘Connect’? … We wanted to rebrand the entire experience.”</p>
<p>Networking was one reason, he said—“connecting companies and individuals.”</p>
<p>But he said the word also shows how home automation services are transforming the security industry. “It’s not just a security space anymore,” he said. “It’s a connected home space.” And, he added, “we think interactive home services will continue to expand under our brand Total Connect.”</p>
<p>Harkins’ talk this morning also included a sober moment that contrasted with the lighthearted event that ended the day.</p>
<p>He asked everyone in the audience to pause a minute to think about fellow FAP members who couldn’t make the event because of Hurricane Sandy.</p>
<p>He said this year’s event was slated to have had pretty much the largest attendance ever, with 165 companies represented and 740 people total. But he said about 50 of those companies were “in the eye of the storm,” which early this week battered the East Coast, especially New Jersey, where Honeywell is located, so some people couldn’t attend.</p>
<p>However, Harkins said he was impressed with the numbers of people who did turn up despite problems like delayed flights and power outages in their homes. “There has to be about 400 to 500 people here,” he said. And some attendees were still arriving Friday evening.</p>
<p>Harkins already has set his sights on 2013, which will be the 24th year for the dealer program, which Honeywell bills as the “longest running” in the industry. “Our goal is 250 companies and 1,000 people next year,” Harkins said.</p>
<p>And what will the name be in 2013? Expect something similar. Harkins said that “Connect” also will be “a brand going forward.”</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Connecting—with costumes and without—at Honeywell&#039;s Connect 2012" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Sat, 03 Nov 2012 03:04:13 +0000Tess Nacelewicz15806 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/blog/connecting-costumes-and-without-honeywells-connect-2012#commentsHabitec cuts police dispatches 20 percent with ECVhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/article/habitec-cuts-police-dispatches-20-percent-ecv
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<div class="field-item even"> Ohio-based company says customers embracing two-call verification</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:date"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2012-05-04T00:00:00-04:00">05/04/2012</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" rel="schema:author dc:creator">Rich Miller</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>TOLEDO, Ohio—One month after implementing two-call verification for incoming alarms, Habitec Security reported a 20 percent decrease in false police dispatches and is on track to cut the rate even further, according to company President John Smythe.</p>
<p>Habitec, based here, made the move to two-call verification in March to handle its 16,000 accounts, split roughly 60/40 between residential and commercial. Smythe said the initiative made an immediate impact and that the company is improving its dispatch record as it updates its data sheets.</p>
<p>"We had a 20 percent reduction in the first month we rolled it out," he told <em>Security Systems News </em>on April 30. "I did a partial month [assessment] about 10 days ago and it looked like we were on pace to knock another 10 percent off. As we get used to the process and our customers do, I think we should be right around a 30 percent reduction in false dispatches."</p>
<p>Two-call verification, also known as enhanced call verification, has been championed by the Security Industry Alarm Coalition as a way to assist public safety agencies, protect alarm customers and reduce the workload at central stations. Smythe said all of those factors weighed into Habitec's decision to implement the practice.</p>
<p>"It was an internal move," he said. "With the [declining] resources of the police departments, we were just trying to help them in any way we can."</p>
<p>Smythe said Habitec’s customers, 80 percent of whom are located in northwestern Ohio, have embraced ECV. The company has an office and a central station in Toledo, with branch offices in Delaware, Ohio and St. Charlevoix, Mich.</p>
<p>"We sent a letter to all of our customers letting them know that this was our new policy and that they could opt out," he said. "Very few people did opt out, so 99 percent of our customer base now has two-call verification."</p>
<p>While the practice requires more work up front for Habitec and its dispatchers when handling alarms, ultimately it will save the company time and money, Smythe said.</p>
<p>"We have to update everyone's emergency keyholder sheets, which is a process, so given all the data entry it is a little bit more work," he said. "But going forward we think it's going to be less work, because we're not going to dispatch the police on 30 percent of the alarms that we've eliminated. You had to call them back and cancel the dispatch, so in the long run we actually think it will reduce some of our call processing."</p>
<p>Smythe said Habitec officials met with the Toledo Police Department a couple of weeks after the program was initiated and "they seemed pretty excited about it." He also said there's no reason why the company can't reduce its false dispatches further.</p>
<p>"It's only been two months," he said. "We have 16,000 customers, so as those are all updated and we stay on top of that better, more progress will be made. I've seen a lot of reports [about ECV elsewhere] and a year into it they have a 50 or 60 percent reduction. It could happen."</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Habitec cuts police dispatches 20 percent with ECV" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Fri, 04 May 2012 14:04:01 +0000Tess Nacelewicz15382 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/article/habitec-cuts-police-dispatches-20-percent-ecv#commentsNPR program rips industry over false alarmshttp://securitysystemsnews.com/blog/npr-program-rips-industry-over-false-alarms
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:author dc:creator">Rich Miller</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:created"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:created" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2012-04-04T00:00:00-04:00">04/04/2012</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>American Public Media’s “Marketplace” weighed in on false alarms this week, with the featured guest delivering a decidedly unfavorable verdict for the security industry: Alarm customers might be better off relying on a dog.</p>
Program host Kai Ryssdal interviewed Stephen Dubner of Freakonomics.com, who cited a litany of figures and study results <a href="http://www.marketplace.org/topics/life/freakonomics-radio/when-burglar-alarms-dont-work">that don’t reflect well on alarm companies</a>. Here’s a bit of what Dubner had to say on the show, which aired on National Public Radio:</p>
<p>—“We talked to Simon Hakim, an economist at Temple who’s been studying this issue for a long time. He says that in a given year, U.S. police respond to more than 35 million alarm activations. … Something like 95 percent of them are false alarms and the cost is about $2 billion.”</p>
<p>—“Financial analysts say that industry leader ADT ... has an operating margin of about 25 percent on roughly $3 billion [in] annual revenues. So these false alarms pose what economists call a negative externality. That is, the provider charges you for the service, but then they pass along a big part of their costs to someone else. In this case, the police departments and the taxpayers who support them.”</p>
<p>—“Well, it’s probably a good idea to make the alarm companies more accountable in some fashion, including having them make alarms that don’t fail so often. … As for me, I think I’m just going to ditch my new alarm that seems to go off every five minutes.”</p>
<p>Dubner then referred to his new deterrent—growling can be heard in the background—and told Ryssdal, “Go ahead. Make my dog’s day.”</p>
<p>On the positive side, Dubner quoted Hakim as saying that alarm systems deter burglars to some degree, citing “the sign in the yard and the threat of the alarm and the police.” He also quoted Ron Walters, director of the Security Industry Alarm Coalition, who said false alarms are SIAC’s “No. 1 priority. This is the one issue that we have decided has to be addressed.”</p>
<p>The incidence of user error was briefly mentioned, along with the move toward more video monitoring to verify whether an alarm call is legit. But that was about it for the bouquets, which points to the long-standing need to better educate customers and improve relationships with law enforcement to reduce false dispatches.</p>
<p>It’s either that or the doghouse.
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<span property="dc:title" content="NPR program rips industry over false alarms" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:40:25 +0000Rich Miller15324 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/blog/npr-program-rips-industry-over-false-alarms#commentsSIAC offers e-notification for alarm ordinance changeshttp://securitysystemsnews.com/article/siac-offers-e-notification-alarm-ordinance-changes
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<div class="field-item even"> New Web feature automatically informs members about activity in their cities</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:date"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2012-03-23T00:00:00-04:00">03/23/2012</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" rel="schema:author dc:creator">Rich Miller</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>FRISCO, Texas—The Security Industry Alarm Coalition is giving its members access to an upgraded online database to help them keep pace with ordinance changes that could affect the way they do business.</p>
<p>While SIAC has provided a state-by-state list of ordinances in the past, the database now allows members to be automatically notified via email when a city has been added to the list, or when policy changes have occurred in their municipality.</p>
<p>The “State Activity Report” is continually updated by SIAC and provides documents associated with each of the cities listed. There is no limit to the number of cities that a SIAC member can track within their state, and national and regional companies can request access to all states.</p>
<p>“Before, you wouldn’t have had any way to know that a city had been added,” said Stan Martin, SIAC’s executive director. “We can post whatever the [local] police department gives us, along with the status. You can pick up the actual ordinance or permit form.”</p>
<p>To access the free database, go to <a href="http://www.siacinc.org" target="_blank">www.siacinc.org</a>, scroll down to the lower right-hand corner of the home page and click on “State Activity Login.” On their first visit, users will be asked to fill out a short online application to receive an assigned password. This allows SIAC’s directors to control who has access to the site.</p>
<p>“We are going to limit the access to legitimate people active in the alarm business, media and confirmed law enforcement,” Martin said. “If we have a doubt or we can’t cross-check the person’s identity, they won’t get access. You can’t use a personal email [address]; it should be a company email.”</p>
<p>To receive automatic updates when new cities have been added to the list, click on the red mailbox next to the heading “1 New Listing Notify.” The mailbox will then turn green, indicating the system is ready to send emails. To be notified about changes in cities already on the list, click the red mailbox next to the city name.</p>
<p>Martin said that while law enforcement officials will supply much of the information for the database, alarm dealers also can play a key role.</p>
<p>“We’ve only got a handful of people who work full time [at SIAC] and we do a pretty good job of keeping up with what’s going on around the country, but the best source of information for us is the eyes and ears of all the active dealers out there,” he said. “If they know of a new ordinance that’s being proposed or something that has changed, if they send us an email we can update the site with that information.”</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="SIAC offers e-notification for alarm ordinance changes" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:53:59 +0000Tess Nacelewicz15302 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/article/siac-offers-e-notification-alarm-ordinance-changes#commentsThree out of four for Monitronics; Tweets for SIAChttp://securitysystemsnews.com/blog/three-out-four-monitronics-tweets-siac
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:author dc:creator">Rich Miller</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:created"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:created" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2012-02-29T00:00:00-05:00">02/29/2012</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>Make it three out of four for Monitronics.</p>
<p>The Dallas-based alarm monitoring firm was recently named Frost &amp; Sullivan’s North American Company of the Year for 2011, adding to similar awards the company won in 2008 and 2010.</p>
Frost &amp; Sullivan praised Monitronics for maximizing value to clients by expanding its customer service operations and streamlining internal processes, resulting in record-low attrition for the year. The market researchers also cited the company’s “concerted efforts” to expand its dealer network, a point that wasn’t lost on Bruce Mungiguerra, VP of sales and dealer development for Monitronics.</p>
<p>“The biggest part for us, for our company and our dealers, is the way our program is modeled as a 100 percent dealer environment,” he told <em>Security Systems News</em>. “All of our business comes through our dealer network, and we really promote a high level of branding for our dealers to promote themselves and be their own local company.”</p>
<p>Mungiguerra said the award gives Monitronics’ dealers a big boost when it comes to marketing their services.</p>
<p>“Being able to have been recognized as the North American alarm provider of the year now for three years, it really helps give credibility to the dealers,” he said. “They can use those logos and that information on their branding to show what a great central station we are. … At the end of the day, our bread and butter is the ability to provide great monitoring services to retain our customers for a long time.”</p>
<p><strong>Tweets for SIAC:</strong> Social media and the Security Industry Alarm Coalition? It might not sound like a match made in heaven, but SIAC sees the value of Tweets and blogs and is taking advantage of the new tools. Since launching its initiative a year ago, the group has attracted more than 100 followers on Twitter and 40 to 50 blog readers a week.</p>
<p>“While we have overcome many challenges, our industry continues to face significant issues in many communities,” said Stan Martin, SIAC’s executive director. “Social media helps us keep industry leaders informed on key issues in real time so that we can engage law enforcement and elected officials early in the decision-making process.”</p>
<p>SIAC’s weekly blog can be found at <a href="http://www.siacinc.wordpress.com">www.siacinc.wordpress.com</a>, with Tweets at @SIACINC.</p>
<p>“It’s a long-term growth process to get more people involved in improving alarm management practices across the country,” said Dave Simon, SIAC’s communications director. “The first step is sending relevant, consistent information, and we believe these tools are effectively serving that purpose.” </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Three out of four for Monitronics; Tweets for SIAC" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:41:12 +0000Rich Miller15245 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/blog/three-out-four-monitronics-tweets-siac#comments